Blog Post 5

I disagree with Rofes to a certain extent on his point about childhood. I think children should be given more freedom to think for themselves but within moderation. A lot of times children are still learning about things and it is always helpful to have an adult be their guide. If a child got to choose where he or she wanted to live they would probably bounce around whenever their guardian told them no. The child could end up in an unhealthy environment, but the same happens now even though the adults make the decisions. The amount of foster children that are killed in their guardians custody is a prime example of that. We have to find a medium and give children more of a voice than they already have but not give them complete freedom because they do not know much and it could lead to bad situations. I would hope that the school I end up teaching at is a lot like my high school. A close knit group and although everyone may not necessarily like each other, they still respect each other. I have a friend from high school who is gay, everyone knew he was gay and no one bullied him, or left him out. We treated him like any other guy there. Everyone had their main group of friends but also ventured out, football guys were cool with the guys that play magic card. I hung out with the black kids from similar situations as myself, football guys, the stereotypical all boy private school kid, and the shy kid. But hey, I know a lot of schools aren't like that.

FieldBlog Post 1

I sat in on two classes, one was an 8th grade history class. It was a bit overwhelming at first, the kids were wired and at one point a kid just walked out of class. They got in a heated discussion on how to pronounce mercantilism. One kid walks up to me in the middle of the chaos and makes sure to let me know that the class isn't always like that. After spending 10 minutes in that class I walked down the hall to a 7th grade accelerated math class. The kids were sitting in 4s in tables around the room working on an exponent worksheet. They found a way to balance the work and talking with their friends at the table. After the class was over I heard something I've never heard in a middle school classroom. The teacher told the students that she would be there at 7:30 the next morning for any students that wanted extra help. I was shocked because my middle school math teachers were never really there for extra help, especially in the morning. Overall it was a good experience for my first time sitting in on a classroom not as a student. Im excited to do it again.

Blog 3

Descriptions: 

1.) Guy walks in with backpack alone

2.) Two girls in workout clothes

3.)group of guys sitting at a table

Interpretations:

1.) Just got out of class looking for a quick snack, scans the area for friends.

2.) They seem to be in shape, their hair was down so I'm lead to believe they didn't just work out.

3.) Group of guys

Before I started I tried to set some of my past experiences and beliefs aside. It's very hard to set aside your beliefs and experiences because they make you YOU.  It felt awkward at first, I was actually thinking about what I was observing. Everyone people watches, but rarely write down what they are thinking during. I sat in the middle of the dining hall, and spotted a group of guys at a table. I began to think about what sports team they play for. Usually I sit with other football players when i eat so I assumed they play sports too. I learned that it is a lot harder to put who you are aside and not make assumptions when you have limited information. It takes practice and you have to be committed.

Blog 2: Thoughts on Lisa Delpit Quote

Lisa Delpit is saying that no matter what people say or do, our past experiences and or beliefs influence what we hear. Some people are so set in their ways that even when you show them a better way they do not care. People have to learn to see things from multiple perspectives and not be afraid to be wrong. Past experiences, the way a person was raised, religious/ political views, will affect the way a person reacts to certain situations. In my theology class we have been talking about the difference between faith and belief. Beliefs are something accepted to be true. If a person went all of his or her life believing something to be true, then someone comes along and says they’re wrong it is going to be hard to sway them.  When I read the quote I thought about how people make assumptions within the first 5 seconds or so when they encounter a situation. That is human nature so after you make the assumptions you can’t let them take over your judgment, especially when working with children. Children need support; they are still trying to figure out the world and themselves. In Bill Ayers To Teach Quinn was written off as hyperactive and labeled as a bit of a job. Then Ayers goes a little deeper into Quinn’s story and the reader sees things from a different perspective and sees he isn’t a bad kid at all. So all people need to learn to set their assumptions, beliefs and pre-judgments aside and open our ears and eyes.

            

Blog 1: Course Survey

1. Tyrone McFarlin Jr.

 

2. Cincinnati, Ohio

 

3. I'm interested in teaching high school math, specifically algebra and I want to become a high school head coach one day.

 

4.I play football at JCU, I've been playing since I was 5 yrs old. I had to go through ACL reconstruction surgery in May so I will not be playing this season, I plan on getting involved in community service and getting at least a 3.0.

 

5. Family is the most important thing to me, one of my college essays was about my 10 year old brother and talked about our relationship.

 

6. An open environment

 

7. My Freshman year in algebra class I knew the material so I wasn't paying attention. My teacher, Mr. Daniels, called on me and asked me if I wanted to teach the class, me having the utmost confidence in my abilities I got up there and explained to the class the properties used to simplify algebraic equations.

8. One concern is students are becoming so dependent on technology even though there have been studies that have proven students learn better when they write things down.

9. What made you want to go into Education? Did you ever go back and forth between education and another profession?